Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, the Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the newly elected Leader of the Opposition in the 13th Parliament, took part in a street-cleaning initiative in the capital’s Manipur area this morning.
Following the Fajr prayer, Dr. Rahman joined party activists and personally picked up a broom to clear waste from the streets.
Footage from the event shows the Jamaat chief spending 15 to 20 minutes on the cleanup effort, while supporters collected debris in polythene bags. Mohammad Selim Uddin, the Ameer of Jamaat’s Dhaka City North unit, also participated in the drive.
"Cleaning the Nation"
Speaking to reporters after the program, Dr. Shafiqur Rahman drew a parallel between physical cleanliness and national governance. "We want to remove all kinds of 'rubbish' from the country through state reform," he stated. "If we clean our own surroundings, the country will stay clean. We aim to build a pristine nation."
He also reflected on the political shift following the recent mass movement, saying:
New Role in Parliament
Dr. Shafiqur Rahman was officially elected as the Leader of the Opposition for the 13th Parliament following a parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday, shortly after the swearing-in of MPs.
The political landscape in the capital remains busy as various factions formalize their roles:
- Jamaat-e-Islami MPs took their oaths at 12:30 PM yesterday.
- NCP (Nationalist Conservative Party) MPs and members of the 11-Party Electoral Alliance also completed their swearing-in ceremonies yesterday.
- Members of the Constitutional Reform Council have similarly taken their oaths of office.
